I used my slow cooker every day for a week to see if it saved me time, and I would never do it again

Erin McDowellFeb 17, 2021, 21:57 IST

I decided to make all my dinners in a Crock-Pot for five days straight to see if it saved me time.Erin McDowell/Insider

Cookbook authors and chefs have praised slow cookers as the perfect tool for weeknight dinners.
I decided to make all my dinners in a Crock-Pot for five days straight to see if it saved me time.
I found some new recipes I'll make time and time again but also experienced a few stressful moments.

I'll be the first one to say it - when it comes to cooking, I'm pretty lazy. I usually stick to making things like a simple pasta dish or ordering takeout from a local restaurant. However, I've been trying to expand my cooking skills during the pandemic.

As the owner of a hand-me-down Crock-Pot, I decided to test the limits of what a slow cooker can do and if it could save me time and effort during a workweek. I also wanted to determine whether I'll begin incorporating the tool into my weekly meal planning.

Here's what happened when I tried to make dinner in my Crock-Pot every day for five days.

I have a Rival Crock-Pot that comes with a few different heat settings.

My Crock-Pot. Erin McDowell/Insider

The first recipe I decided to tackle on day one of my slow cooking adventure was a Greek chicken dish.

Sliced red peppers. Erin McDowell/Insider

After roasting the pepper, I made a dressing for the chicken with red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, and Italian seasoning.

The marinade for the chicken. Erin McDowell/Insider

I lightly browned three boneless, skinless chicken breasts and arranged them in the slow cooker with Kalamata olives, my roasted red peppers, and chopped red onion.

The chicken and other ingredients in the slow cooker. Erin McDowell/Insider

After four hours on low, I switched the slow cooker to the "warm" mode.

The chicken after it was done cooking. Erin McDowell/Insider

I served my chicken and vegetables with feta cheese, some microwaved rice, and a little tzatziki sauce.

My finished chicken meal. Erin McDowell/Insider

I decided to kick it up a notch the next day by attempting to make one of my favorite dishes, a spin on General Tso's chicken.

Chicken in cornstarch. Erin McDowell/Insider

It took around 30 minutes to prepare this dish before it could even go in the Crock-Pot.

Frying the chicken in a pan. Erin McDowell/Insider

I transferred the chicken to the slow cooker and covered it in my homemade General Tso's chicken sauce.

My sauce-covered chicken in the slow cooker. Erin McDowell/Insider

After around four hours of cooking the chicken on low, the sauce became mouthwateringly thick.

My finished Asian-inspired chicken. Erin McDowell/Insider

I paired my chicken with microwaved brown rice, which I already had in my pantry, and topped it all with white sesame seeds and chopped green onion.

My finished chicken and rice meal. Erin McDowell/Insider

Despite my first two Crock-Pot dinners going well, my slow cooker and I were on the outs by the third day.

The ingredients for the spinach and artichoke dip in the slow cooker. Erin McDowell/Insider

Thankfully, the spinach and artichoke dip was pretty easy to make and was done in just two hours on low.

My finished spinach and artichoke dip. Erin McDowell/Insider

I served the spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips.

The spinach and artichoke dip on top of a tortilla chip. Erin McDowell/Insider

The next day, I raided my pantry for any ingredients I could use to make a slow-cooker meal. I settled on a simple chicken Parmesan pasta dish.

Chicken breasts in pureed tomato with Italian seasoning. Erin McDowell/Insider

After four hours of cooking the tomato sauce and chicken on low heat, the meat was fully cooked.

My finished chicken and tomato sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

I then boiled some penne pasta on the stove to add back into the slow cooker.

My boiling penne pasta. Erin McDowell/Insider

I mixed my cooked pasta with the chicken and set the slow cooker to the warm setting.

Penne pasta with chicken and tomato sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

I then topped my pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some shredded mozzarella.

My finished chicken Parmesan pasta. Erin McDowell/Insider

At this point in my week of slow cooking, I was feeling an interesting combination of emotions.

My finished chicken parmesan pasta. Erin McDowell/Insider

For my final slow cooker meal, I decided to pay homage to my mother's favorite slow cooker recipe: pot roast.

My pot roast in the slow cooker. Erin McDowell/Insider

First, I seared my chuck roast in a cast iron pan and added it to the slow cooker. Then, I added in the bottle of chili sauce and filled the pot up with water halfway.

My pot roast after adding in the carrots. Erin McDowell/Insider

The beef was super tender and the gravy filled my apartment with a delicious, home-cooked smell.

My finished pot roast. Erin McDowell/Insider

I decided to make red skin mashed potatoes to go with the pot roast.

I made red skin mashed potatoes. Erin McDowell/Insider

I ended the week on a high note with this recipe, but I couldn't help feeling exhausted.

My pot roast and mashed potatoes. Erin McDowell/Insider

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